Hiring

20 Creative Things Job Seekers Have Done To Get Noticed.

by XPRESS, 15 April 2015

The job market may be improving, but the competition is as fierce as ever. Knowing that there are often hundreds of job seekers vying for the same coveted position, some candidates will do almost anything to stand out from the crowd.

But according to a new survey from CareerBuilder, taking a creative approach to the job application and interview process can be risky.

“In this highly competitive job market, job seekers are using creative ways to break through the clutter and make a lasting impression on an employer,” says Rosemary Haefner, CareerBuilder’s vice president of human resources. “It’s a judgment call.  Stunts may catch an employer’s attention, but they can also backfire and cost you the job. Employers like creativity, but they also want to know that you’re serious about the opportunity.”

Harris Interactive conducted an online survey on behalf of CareerBuilder that asked 2,076 hiring managers and human resource professionals nationwide to share the most memorable methods candidates have used to stand out from the competition, and whether their creativity got them hired or cost them the opportunity.

One employer said she was most impressed by an applicant who performed a musical number on the guitar about why he was the best candidate. Another offered the job to a candidate who asked to be interviewed in Spanish to showcase his skills.

“Some hiring managers will appreciate a more unconventional approach to applying and interviewing for job, others may not,” Haefner says. “It often comes down to knowing your audience. For instance, a clever technique that may help you land a job at an advertising firm may not necessarily work for a more conservative law firm.”

Other creative techniques that worked: Giving a resume on a chocolate bar, repairing a piece of the company’s equipment during the first interview, and volunteering to help make copies when the candidate saw the interviewer’s assistant getting frazzled.

“If you’re planning to do something unconventional, first ask yourself, ‘Does this help to exemplify my skills and experience?’ If the answer is no, then don’t,” Haefner suggests. “Whatever you say or do in an interview should be relevant to the position at hand.”

A great way to impress the employer—without doing anything outrageous—is to come in with ideas, she says. “It shows vision and initiative.” Many candidates don’t do this, so you’ll immediately stand out.

“Make yourself memorable for the right reasons,” Haefner concludes. “Focus on specific ways you have contributed to other organizations, so the employer sees what you can do for them.”

 

10 creative techniques that worked:

1. Candidate contracted a billboard outside of employer’s office.

2. Candidate gave a resume on a chocolate bar.

3. Candidate showed up in a suit with a red T-shirt underneath a white shirt. The red T-shirt had a message – “Hire me, I work hard.”

4. Candidate asked to be interviewed in Spanish to showcase his skills.

5. Candidate crafted the cover letter like an invitation to hire her rather than a request (similar to a wedding invitation).

6. Candidate climbed on a roof the employer was repairing and asked for a job.

7. Candidate performed a musical number on the guitar about why he was the best candidate.

8. Candidate volunteered to help out with making copies when he saw interviewer’s assistant was getting frazzled.

9. Candidate repaired a piece of company’s equipment during the first interview.

10. Candidate sent a message in a bottle.

 

10 creative techniques that didn’t work:

1. Candidate back-flipped into the room.

2. Candidate brought items from interviewer’s online shopping wish list.

3. Candidate sent a fruit basket to interviewer’s home address, which the interviewer had not given her.

4. Candidate did a tarot reading for the interviewer.

5. Candidate dressed as a clown.

6. Candidate sent interviewer some beef stew with a note saying “Eat hearty and hire me J.”

7. Candidate placed a timer on interviewer’s desk, started it, and told interviewer he would explain in 3 minutes why he was the perfect candidate.

8. Candidate sent interviewer a lotto ticket.

9. Candidate wore a fluorescent suit.

10. Candidate sent in a shoe to “get their foot in the door.”

 

 

Article Source: Forbes.